I had my first heart attack at 43. One stent was placed in my LAD. I had a second heart attack last year at 48, two more stents. I was very lucky, yet again. I thought I was being good on my nutriton and exercise plan. It was not enough. Dr Esselstyn helps to explain why in this book. He gets right to the point and tells you why you need to follow his plan if you have heart disease. Some of the reviewers complain that the book is half recipies. I don't understand this at all. You will need them to make the transition to this lifestyle.

Is this plan difficult to stick with? Yes, at first, then you start to feel normal again and full of life. You feel the best you have felt in years! Your weight normalizes and your cholesterol drops like a rock. You become heart attack proof and you believe it. It's a much better feeling than the bloat not to mention the guilt after a big steak. No contest! I never want to lay on that operating table again thinking about what my family will do without me. Trust me, it's a very bad feeling.
I have taken back control, and now, you can too. Follow this plan to the letter and it will work for you too.

I have chosen life.

This diet plan probably is an effective means to control existing heart disease and prevent further damage. Reversal may be possible, but sample size limited. Compliance is extremely difficult. Much more rigid intake than the average (or highly motivated) user will be able to adhere to.

This book was very motivational. I want to share it with everyone that has heart disease and everyone I love. I have been on a vegan diet before and needed a motivation to restart a healthy diet and get my BP under control. This book got me back on track! I ordered 2, one for me and one to share. I probably should have ordered 3.

An excellent dietary program, basically non-meat and dairy products. A major feature of the book is an extensive collection of recipes prepared principally by the author's wife, that make the seemingly difficult program not just palatable, but delicious.

I liked the book because the information was backed up by research and 20 years of patient data.

I liked the book because the information was backed up by research and 20 years of patient data.

Wonderful book which is a treasure trove of cardiovascular health approaches for the layman and professional alike. It explains and documents the benefits of a vegan approach to cardiovascular health. Complete with numerous case histories, views of cardiovascular vessels, and techniques for improving and reversing heart health problems.

I ordered this book and sent it to all my relatives - that was seven couples, plus 10 nieces and nephews. I have read many books on how to eat properly to feed the body. After reading this one, I can throw all the others away. If we all get with this program, most of our health issues will be solved along with health insurance problems. This book goes into detail on what to eat in order to feed the cells and keep the body tuned to the max. The recipes are delicious, you will never be hungry, and you will automatically lose weight you don't need. Don't walk - run to get this book.

I purchased this and The China Study - two books closely related / companions in my opinion. They even talk about each other. The recipes in this book have really helped us eat healthier and I highly recommend this book for a good understand of what heart disesase is and how to prevent it (and how to reduce other illnesses as well). Add a little bit of unrefined sea salt to the recipes and they are delicious. Half of this book is just recipes! It is a very easy read, and very captivating.

I purchased this and The China Study - two books closely related / companions in my opinion. They even talk about each other. The recipes in this book have really helped us eat healthier and I highly recommend this book for a good understand of what heart disesase is and how to prevent it (and how to reduce other illnesses as well). Add a little bit of unrefined sea salt to the recipes and they are delicious. Half of this book is just recipes! It is a very easy read, and very captivating.

I wish I had not wasted my time and money on this worthless book. If it has a face, according to the author, don't eat it. That means, no fish, no poultry, no lamb no lean beef or any other high quality protein. My aim was to get away from prescriptions that do not cure a condition, but simply relieves symthoms. However, this book advocates statins to control cholestrol something that I would prefer to do via diet when you consider the many dangerous side effects of drugs especially the statins. When Dr. Esselstyn stated that no oils including Olive oil was good for you, and went on to state that this monosaturated 'heart healthy' oil should be avoided because it contained a small amount of saturated fat, I knew it was time to put down the book and move on to a doctor---preferably and alternative physician---who knew his subject.

I found this book very helpful after going through a scary heart experience myself this Christmas and ending up with a stent placement. This book gave me hope and something proven to help to do myself. I enjoy the recipes and eating healthy with the hope my health and heart will improve.

If you are serious about combating cardiovascular disease (not for the faint hearted) and willing to take drastic steps in your battle for health and take responsibility for your own health, this book is an excellent resource. Has recipes to help you get you started.

This book can be summed up very quickly - no meat, no fish, no oil - if you enjoy eating at all, this is not a solution for you. If you are willing to live on fruits and vegetables only, I suppose it probably works.

A clear exposition of lifesaving health benefits of a vegan diet. The glossy photos of circulatory and brain tissues which are before and after shots of the diseased and then of healthy materials clearly indicate the benefits of the diet even for those who have previously abused their dietary health. The recipes in the back half are doable with foods found in most refridgerators, and some recipes provide tasty foods which can be found easily at large food markets or health food stores. The instructions on making a transition to this healthy diet are clear and make change easy.

A clear exposition of lifesaving health benefits of a vegan diet. The glossy photos of circulatory and brain tissues which are before and after shots of the diseased and then of healthy materials clearly indicate the benefits of the diet even for those who have previously abused their dietary health. The recipes in the back half are doable with foods found in most refridgerators, and some recipes provide tasty foods which can be found easily at large food markets or health food stores. The instructions on making a transition to this healthy diet are clear and make change easy.

This book has had a profound affect on our lives. My wife grabbed it right away and read it in one day. She has totally changed our eating habits and is preparing fabulously tasty all Vegan meals.
She has spoken with Dr. Esselstyn several times on the phone and we will be seeing him in September.
Susie has a family history of heart disease, both her parents died of it in their early 50's. She has no signs currently, but is smart enough to take action now.
The recipes are delicious and it has been a very easy transition. We made the complete transition in about a week. I thought it would be much more challenging, but it was simple.

I came acroos this book after reading a commentary from the Health Ranger on the sudden heart attack of NBC's Anchor of Meet The Press. I followed that link to this book and bought it on Amazon.com . I am now buying one for my daughter. I have read this book and looked though the recipes and asked myself...Gosh, can I really do this diet or should I say lifestyle change? But, then I realized, it is not how can I give up my many beloved foods, but rather, I must give up killing myself slowly but surely.
The recipes in this book, of the few I have tried so far, are really tasty , much to my surprise. Who knew Almond milk could taste so good?
I do not think I could have even started this change in what I eat without the many recipes included in this book. Having gone organic now for almost a year this is now my next step. The hard part will be getting my husband on board. But I am easing him into it.
I even called Dr. Esselstyn and he personally called me back to answer any questions I had. Now that is one very caring doctor. So all you out there in cyberspace, lets start getting healthy, because the way things are going none of us will be able to afford to get sick even with insurance. This at least gives us a fighting chance. I highly recommend this book. It is a good truthful look at how what we eat will effect us and it is an easy to read book that is motivational, answering the questions in the next chapter that you are asking youself in the chapter prior. I am thankful to have found this book and hope the rest of you find it to be as good as I do. Good health, good food, good heart.

My family has a history of heart disease. My brother and I have both been dealing with high blood pressure over the last few years. Although our BP is controlled with 3-5 prescription medications, we both want to see if we can get off of them ASAP. My brother read the book and started on the recommended diet about 3 months ago. He has lost more than 40 pounds and cut back on his medications. I started on the diet several weeks ago and have already lost 15 pounds and cut my medications. We both feel good and hope to cut our medications even more.

We both ate "healthy" foods and exercised regularly before starting the diet. We didn't start the new diet to lose weight, since neither of us was overly heavy. The diet can be difficult at times (traveling, restaurants, etc.), but the book provides some good hints on how to cope with such issues. I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to truly change their health and is willing to change their lifestyle to do it. The recipes are great!

It so happens that I was reading Chapter 5, "Moderation Kills", in PREVENT AND REVERSE HEART DISEASE by Esselstyn when I learned of the recent, untimely death of TV news host, Tim Russert, In this chapter, Esselstyn explains why the standard 'moderate' cardiac regiman as prescribed for Russert often is associated with sudden death - and why such death is preventable.

I was drawn to the monograph because, at age 74 and free of cardiac symptoms, a plaque was demonstrated in a major coronary artery when I had a Coronary Artery Calcium Score/GE determined. My score of 460 was abnormally high -- and compares with the abnormal score of 210 received by Tim Russert in 1998 at age 48: [...]
Now, based on the wealth of clinical and epidemiologic evidence nicely presented and using the practical notes to food sources offered on pages 289 to 299, my wife and I are choosing to embark on the Esselstyn diet.

BTW, a strict low fat diet was not among the options suggested by my cardiologist and I doubt if the choice were ever offered by the medical profession to Tim Russert.

Roswell Eldridge, MD

To address the reviewer below, plant-based nutrition works for diabetics too! The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality. And if you're concerned about prostate cancer, you have yet another reason to go plant-based.Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer, Second Edition

According to Dr. Esselstyn, it takes about three or four weeks, and possibly a little cholesterol-lowering medication, to essentially "heartattackproof" yourself. Along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, beans are a critical element for this way of dealing with heart disease. Beans provide a good source of arginine, the raw material needed to make nitric oxide, a gas produced by the endothelial cells that line our cardiovascular systems. Nitric oxide keeps arteries flexible, and everything in the blood flowing smoothly. To use Dr. Esselstyn's analogy, flowing like teflon, instead of like velcro.

My father, grandfather, and great grandfather, all died young from heart attacks, my father being the youngest at 42. For most of my life, I didn't put that much stock in nutrition. ( Although I had a mother who did! ) Until my runnning took a bit of a hit in my mid-forties, I thought being fit was much more important than what I ate. I can no longer think that way!

I would encourage anyone who's on the fence about this, to attend one of Dr. Esselstyn's speaking engagements. If that's not possible, order the 2005 Vegsource DVD's. I was so impressed with his presentation from 2005, that in 2006 I spent three days on a bus to meet him ( and others ) in person, in California.

While things were running a little behind in 2006, cutting his presentation a bit short, near the end Dr. Esselstyn had a man he'd met in a taxi at this conference join him on stage. His testimonial added an interesting "alternative perspective" that the reviewer below seemed to think was missing from the book. ( Also, I think the 2006 DVD's capture Dr. Joel Fuhrman at his best. )Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss

The review below also mentions how much of the book is recipes. Ann Esselstyn's recipes are very original, and the large volume helps emphasize how much diet is the critical element for conquering heart disease.

If you do have the chance to hear him speak, and to pose a question, ask about niacin over Lipitor. At least one other reviewer brought that up, and I'm sure Dr. Esselstyn is always looking for ways to tweak his lectures.

To address the reviewer below, plant-based nutrition works for diabetics too! The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality. And if you're concerned about prostate cancer, you have yet another reason to go plant-based.Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer, Second Edition

According to Dr. Esselstyn, it takes about three or four weeks, and possibly a little cholesterol-lowering medication, to essentially "heartattackproof" yourself. Along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, beans are a critical element for this way of dealing with heart disease. Beans provide a good source of arginine, the raw material needed to make nitric oxide, a gas produced by the endothelial cells that line our cardiovascular systems. Nitric oxide keeps arteries flexible, and everything in the blood flowing smoothly. To use Dr. Esselstyn's analogy, flowing like teflon, instead of like velcro.

My father, grandfather, and great grandfather, all died young from heart attacks, my father being the youngest at 42. For most of my life, I didn't put that much stock in nutrition. ( Although I had a mother who did! ) Until my runnning took a bit of a hit in my mid-forties, I thought being fit was much more important than what I ate. I can no longer think that way!

I would encourage anyone who's on the fence about this, to attend one of Dr. Esselstyn's speaking engagements. If that's not possible, order the 2005 Vegsource DVD's. I was so impressed with his presentation from 2005, that in 2006 I spent three days on a bus to meet him ( and others ) in person, in California.

While things were running a bit behind in 2006, cutting his presentation a little short, near the end Dr. Esselstyn had a man he'd met in a taxi at this conference join him on stage. His testimonial added an interesting "alternative perspective", that the reviewer below seemed to think was missing from the book. ( Also, I think the 2006 DVD's capture Dr. Joel Fuhrman at his best. )Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss

The review below also mentions how much of the book is recipes. Ann Esselstyn's recipes are very original, and having been exposed to redundant writing styles, ( see Barry Sears, "The Zone" , don't buy it, just "see" it ) I am thankful that Caldwell Esselstyn doesn't do that.

If you do have the chance to hear him speak, and to pose a question, ask about niacin over Lipitor. At least one other reviewer brought that up, and I'm sure Dr. Esselstyn is always looking for ways to tweak his lectures.

To address the reviewer below, plant-based nutrition works for diabetics too! The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality. And if you're concerned about prostate cancer, you have yet another reason to go plant-based.Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer, Second Edition

According to Dr. Esselstyn, it takes about three or four weeks, and possibly a little cholesterol-lowering medication, to essentially "heartattackproof" yourself. Along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, beans are a critical element for this way of dealing with heart disease. Beans provide a good source of arginine, the raw material needed to make nitric oxide, a gas produced by the endothelial cells that line our cardiovascular systems. Nitric oxide keeps arteries flexible, and everything in the blood flowing smoothly. To use Dr. Esselstyn's analogy, flowing like teflon, instead of like velcro.

My father, grandfather, and great grandfather, all died young from heart attacks, my father being the youngest at 42. For most of my life, I didn't put that much stock in nutrition. ( Although I had a mother who did! ) Until my runnning took a bit of a hit in my mid-forties, I thought being fit was much more important than what I ate. I can no longer think that way!

I would encourage anyone who's on the fence about this, to attend one of Dr. Esselstyn's speaking engagements. If that's not possible, order the 2005 Vegsource DVD's. I was so impressed with his presentation from 2005, that in 2006 I spent three days on a bus to meet him ( and others ) in person, in California. While things were running a bit behind in 2006, cutting his presentation a little short, near the end Dr. Esselstyn had a man he'd met in a taxi at this conference join him on stage. His testimonial added an interesting "alternative perspective", that the reviewer below seemed to think was missing from the book. ( Also, I think the 2006 DVD's capture Dr. Joel Fuhrman at his best. )Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss

The review below also mentions how much of the book is recipes. Ann Esselstyn's recipes are very original, and having been exposed to redundant writing styles, ( see Barry Sears, "The Zone" , don't buy it, just "see" it ) I am thankful that Caldwell Esselstyn doesn't do that.

If you do have the chance to hear him speak, and to pose a question, ask about niacin over Lipitor. At least one other reviewer brought that up, and I'm sure Dr. Esselstyn is always looking for ways to tweak his lectures.

To address the reviewer below, plant-based nutrition works for diabetics too! The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality. And if you're concerned about prostate cancer, you have yet another reason to go plant-based.

According to Dr. Esselstyn, it takes about three or four weeks, and possibly a little cholesterol-lowering medication, to essentially "heartattackproof" yourself. Along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, beans are a critical element for this way of dealing with heart disease. Beans provide a good source of arginine, the raw material needed to make nitric oxide, a gas produced by the endothelial cells that line our cardiovascular systems. Nitric oxide keeps arteries flexible, and everything in the blood flowing smoothly. To use Dr. Esselstyn's analogy, flowing like teflon, instead of like velcro.

My father, grandfather, and great grandfather, all died young from heart attacks, my father being the youngest at 42. For most of my life, I didn't put that much stock in nutrition. ( Although I had a mother who did! ) Until my runnning took a bit of a hit in my mid-forties, I thought being fit was much more important than what I ate. I can no longer think that way!

I would encourage anyone who's on the fence about this, to attend one of Dr. Esselstyn's speaking engagements. If that's not possible, order the 2005 Vegsource DVD's. I was so impressed with his presentation from 2005, that in 2006 I spent three days on a bus to meet him ( and others ) in person, in California. While things were running a bit behind in 2006, cutting his presentation a little short, near the end Dr. Esselstyn had a man he'd met in a taxi at this conference join him on stage. His testimonial added an interesting "alternative perspective", that the reviewer below seemed to think was missing from the book. ( Also, I think the 2006 DVD's capture Dr. Joel Fuhrman at his best. )Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss

The review below also mentions how much of the book is recipes. Ann Esselstyn's recipes are very original, and having been exposed to redundant writing styles, ( see Barry Sears, "The Zone" , don't buy it, just "see" it ) I am thankful that Caldwell Esselstyn doesn't do that.

If you do have the chance to hear him speak, and to pose a question, ask about niacin over Lipitor. At least one other reviewer brought that up, and I'm sure Dr. Esselstyn is always looking for ways to tweak his lectures.

To address the reviewer below, plant-based nutrition works for diabetics too! The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality. And if you're concerned about prostate cancer, you have yet another reason to go plant-based.

According to Dr. Esselstyn, it takes about three or four weeks, and possibly a little cholesterol-lowering medication, to essentially "heartattackproof" yourself. Along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, beans are a critical element for this way of dealing with heart disease. Beans provide a good source of arginine, the raw material needed to make nitric oxide, a gas produced by the endothelial cells that line our cardiovascular systems. Nitric oxide keeps arteries flexible, and everything in the blood flowing smoothly. To use Dr. Esselstyn's analogy, flowing like teflon, instead of like velcro.

I would encourage anyone who is on the fence about this, to attend one of Dr. Esselstyn's speaking engagements. If that's not possible, order the 2005 Vegsource DVD's. I was so impressed with his presentation from 2005, that in 2006 I spent three days on a bus, to meet him ( and others ) in person, in California. While things were running a little behind in 2006, cutting his presentation a bit short, near the end Dr. Esselstyn had a man he'd met in a taxi at this conference join him on stage. His testimonial added an interesting "alternative perspective", that the reviewer below seemed to think was missing from the book. ( Also, I think the 2006 DVD's capture Dr. Joel Fuhrman at his best. )Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss

The review below also mentions how much of the book is recipes. Ann Esselstyn's recipes are very original, and having been exposed to redundant writing styles, ( see Barry Sears, "The Zone" , don't buy it, just "see" it ) I am thankful that Caldwell Esselstyn doesn't do that. If you do have the chance to hear him speak, and to pose a question, ask about niacin as opposed to Lipitor. At least one other reviewer brought that up, and I'm sure Dr. Esselstyn is always looking for ways to tweak his lectures.

To address the reviewer below, plant-based nutrition works for diabetics too! The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality. And if you're concerned about prostate cancer, you have yet another reason to go plant-based.

According to Dr. Esselstyn, it takes about two or three weeks, and possibly a little cholesterol-lowering medication, to essentially "bulletproof" yourself against a heart attack. Along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, beans are a critical element for this way of dealing with heart disease. Beans provide a good source of arginine, the raw material needed to make nitric oxide, a gas produced by the endothelial cells that line our cardiovascular systems. Nitric oxide keeps arteries flexible, and everything in the blood flowing smoothly. To use Dr. Esselstyn's analogy, flowing like teflon, instead of like velcro.

I would encourage anyone who is on the fence about this, to attend one of Dr. Esselstyn's speaking engagements. If that's not possible, order the 2005 Vegsource DVD's. I was so impressed with his presentation from 2005, that in 2006 I spent three days on a bus, to meet him ( and others ) in person, in California. While things were running a little behind in 2006, cutting his presentation a bit short, near the end Dr. Esselstyn had a man he'd met in a taxi at this conference join him on stage. His testimonial added an interesting "alternative perspective", that the reviewer below seemed to think was missing from the book. ( Also, I think the 2006 DVD's capture Dr. Joel Fuhrman at his best. )

The review below also mentions how much of the book is recipes. Ann Esselstyn's recipes are very original, and having been exposed to redundant writing styles, ( see Barry Sears, "The Zone" , don't buy it, just "see" it ) I am thankful that Caldwell Esselstyn doesn't do that. If you do have the chance to hear him speak, and to pose a question, ask about niacin as opposed to Lipitor. At least one other reviewer brought that up, and I'm sure Dr. Esselstyn is always looking for ways to tweak his lectures.

To address the reviewer below, plant-based nutrition works for diabetics too! If you check out the top selling books on diabetes right now, it won't take you long to find The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality. Also, if you're concerned about developing prostate cancer, you may want to reconsider how sick you need to be, or how much pain you need to be in, before you're willing to change.

According to Dr. Esselstyn, it takes about two or three weeks, and possibly a little cholesterol-lowering medication, to essentially "bulletproof" yourself against a heart attack. Along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, beans are a critical element for dealing with heart disease. Beans provide a good source of arginine, the raw material needed to make nitric oxide, a gas produced by the endothelial cells that line the cardiovascular system. Nitric oxide, manufactured by a strong endothelium, equals cardiovascular health!

What else? I would encourage anyone who is on the fence about this, to attend one of Dr. Esselstyn's speaking engagements. His presentations are very impressive. If that's not possible, order the 2005 Vegsource DVD's. I was so impressed with his presentation from 2005, that in 2006 I spent three days on a bus, to meet him ( and others ) in person, in California. ( in my view, 2006 are Dr. Joel Fuhrman's best presentations )

The reviewer below also mentions how much of the book is recipes. Well, his wife Ann's recipes are very original, and having been exposed to redundant writing styles, ( see Barry Sears, "The Zone" , don't buy it, just "see" it ) I am thankful that Caldwell Esselstyn doesn't do that. If you have the chance to hear him speak, ask about niacin, as opposed to Lipitor. At least one other reviewer brought it up, and I'm sure Dr. Esselstyn is always looking for ways to tweak his lectures, so maybe he will address it in the future.

To address the review below, plant-based nutrition works for diabetics too! If you check out the top selling books on diabetes right now, it won't take you long to find The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality. Also, if you're concerned about developing prostate cancer, you may want to reconsider how sick you need to be, or how much pain you need to be in, before you're willing to change.

According to Dr. Esselstyn, it takes about two or three weeks, and possibly a little cholesterol-lowering medication, before you're essentially bullet-proof against a heart attack. And beans are a critical element of this treatment, as they are a good source of arginine, the raw material needed to produce nitric oxide, a gas that restores the health of the endothelium.

What else? I would encourage anyone who is on the fence about this, to attend one of Dr. Esselstyn's speaking engagements. His presentations are very impressive. If that's not possible, order the 2005 Vegsource DVD's. I was so impressed with his presentation from 2005, that in 2006 I spent three days on a bus, to meet him ( and others ) in person, in California. ( in my view, 2006 are Dr. Joel Fuhrman's best presentations )

The review below also mentions how much of the book is recipes. Well, his wife Ann's recipes are very original, and having been exposed to redundant writing styles, ( see Barry Sears, "The Zone" , don't buy it, just "see" it ) I am thankful that Caldwell Esselstyn doesn't do that. If you have the chance to hear him speak, ask him about niacin as opposed to Lipitor. At least one other reviewer brought it up, and as I'm sure Dr. Esselstyn is always tweaking his lectures, maybe he will address it in the future.

While the possibility of reversing all the damage done to your vascular system over time is quite exciting, the diet is so rigorous that even if it doesn't actually make you live longer, it will seem like it, LOL. No denying that the average American's diet is not healthy, but Dr. Esselstyn's diet allows only vegetables, fruits, and grains, period, with no deviations allowed, ever.

One serious flaw in the book is that everything is written through Dr. Esselstyn's perspective. There is not one anecdotal account written by one of his patients providing testimony of how this diet has improved their life. And, there is the issue noted by others that over half of the book is recipes. He also does not address how diabetics should use his diet. Although it may be argued that you will lose so much weight and correct bad body chemistry so that type II diabetes will no longer be an issue, but the fruit and grains are carbs.

So, with Americans' penchant for quirky diets, why isn't this sweeping the land? For me, I may be in denial, but I don't think I'm sick enough, yet, to do this. It's almost as though Dr. Esselstyn touts this as such a miracle cure that one can start on it the day the need for a coronary bypass is identified and not have to proceed with the surgery.

I was so impressed by reading the first single copy of Caldwell B. Esselstyn's book that I bought 4 more copies to give away. It is a book that should be read by the general population for in this country (Australia)for over 48,000 people die each year from heart attacks that could largely be avoided.

This is one of those rare books that is both revolutionary and well substantiated. The author isn't just another crackpot trying to make a name for himself.

Almost hard to believe that what many of us have assumed is good for us, may in fact be very harmful. Such as nuts - who could have thought? Very educational, but wonder if his diet does apply to those who have no heart disease? Seems some nuts and even a little oil in very moderate amounts should not be harmful. More research is needed to verify that. After all, the patients on which his research is based all had been given a death sentence.

This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to improve their health. It provides the facts and the photos which show that you can take charge of your own health and DO something about it. Half of the book includes practical recipes that have been perfected by Dr. Esselstyn's wife which can be used to make healthy food taste good. Personally, I don't use black pepper due to its irritating quality but it is easy to omit that from the recipes.

This is pretty heavy stuff for an old lady but it seems so well documented and so far it makes a lot of sense. Do I really need to get this extreme when my physical exams show no evidence of heart disease? Does the fact that 3 of my 6 siblings have had open heart surgery mean that I DO need to? I'm vegetarian and mostly vegan but might do well to incorporate even more into my lifestyle. For a person who already KNOWS they have heart problems, it seems like it would be an absolute MUST to follow this to the letter. The evidence for benefits is very strong. I was diagnosed as Type II Diabetic 4 months ago and if I had been as careful as this book recommends, I might NOT be. I'm glad I bought the book even though I'm just 2 weeks away from 80!

I agree with the many other writers here that this is an extremely important work, and that something needs to be done about the harmful American diet. Dr. Esselstyn's amazing results on the group whose heart disease he reversed is the sort of data most scientists would kill for. The book is packed with information and data that support his conclusions. Overall, I agree with everything in this book, with one exception.

Dr. Esselstyn has concluded that any kind of oil, whether animal or vegetable, is harmful to the vascular epithelium, and that this is a major contributing factor in atherosclerosis, and in strokes and heart attacks. He also cites a very interesting experiment in which patients ingested olive oil and had their brachial arteries clamped shut for five minutes, after which they failed to open up right away.

Dr. Esselstyn concluded from this that the olive oil temporarily injured the blood vessels, and that this accounts for the brachial artery's inability to open up in timely fashion after the clamp was removed.

However, I have several problems with this. First, the clamp was on for a long time, five minutes. This is a very long time to clamp a major blood vessel all the way shut, and is something that would normally never happen in the real world.

Second, and most important, is the conclusion that the olive oil is the causative factor in the injury. I have a couple of problems with this.

Thirty years ago, when I was working my way through grad school in physiology and anatomy as a spectrophotometric technician running blood chemistries on a Fisher 1040 Programmachem Spectrophotometer, and was a lot younger than I am today, I happened to feel some very fatty blood serum between my fingers, after it had been spun down.

Fortunately, this was before the days of HIV and I had no cuts on my fingers, so nothing bad happened there. However, I'll never forget how sticky the fatty blood serum felt between my fingers. It was practically like glue.

Normally, spun down human serum (with the red blood cells and other solid fractions removed), is a straw gold color. However, after ingesting fat, such as after one of those good ol' American style breakfasts of bacon and eggs and hash browns, it can be milky white or even pink, looking almost like a strawberry milkshake. That milky appearance is all the fat that's going through your arteries, carried in small, microscopic droplets called chylomicrons.

With such sticky blood coursing through your veins after eating any fat or oil, that could be the reason why the brachial artery didn't open and remained "glued" shut, rather than any injury to the vascular epithelium.

Third, the cell membranes, including those of the vascular epithelium, are essentially fatty, lipid membranes themselves. In the case of nerve cells, they're even fattier because of the presence of large amounts of phospholipids that are needed in nerve cells. My question is why would a typical fatty cell membrane be injured by something that is chemically the same, or at least, very similar to itself?

In Dr. Esselstyn's favor, however, is the one case of a man who had severe angina, which went away when he stopped eating olive oil, when he was already doing everything else right diet-wise. But this could simply be due to eliminating the remaining fat from the diet rather than because of any injury to the blood vessels.

All that having been said, I still think this is an extremely important book, and that Dr. Esselstyn's many other conclusions and ideas are correct. And I plan to change my own diet along the lines he suggests as a result.

Finally, I'd like to say that recently I was priviledged to hear Dr. Esselstyn speak and that he is an dynamic, funny, and witty speaker, and that if you ever have the opportunity, you should go and hear him speak yourself. And his wife gave a brief but equally dynamic presentation at the end of his talk with information and tips on how to prepare and cook a plant-based diet.

I agree with the many other writers here that this is an extremely important work, and that something needs to be done about the harmful American diet. Dr. Esselstyn's amazing results on the group whose heart disease he reversed is the sort of data most scientists would kill for. The book is packed information and data that support his conclusions. Overall, I agree with everything in this book, with one exception.

Dr. Esselstyn has concluded that any kind of oil, whether animal or vegetable, is harmful to the vascular epithelium, and that this is a major contributing factor in atherosclerosis, and in strokes and heart attacks. He also cites a very interesting experiment in which patients ingested olive oil and had their brachial arteries clamped shut for five minutes, after which they failed to open up right away.

Dr. Esselstyn concluded from this that the olive oil temporarily injured the blood vessels, and that this accounts for the brachial artery's inability to open up in timely fashion after the clamp was removed.

However, I have several problems with this. First, the clamp was on for a long time, five minutes. This is a very long time to clamp a major blood vessel all the way shut, and is something that would normally never happen in the real world.

Second, and most important, is the conclusion that the olive oil is the causative factor in the injury. I have a couple of problems with this.

Thirty years ago, when I was working my way through grad school in physiology and anatomy as a spectrophotometric technician running blood chemistries on a Fisher 1040 Programmachem Spectrophotometer, and was a lot younger than I am today, I happened to feel some very fatty blood serum between my fingers, after it had been spun down.

Fortunately, this was before the days of HIV and I had no cuts on my fingers, so nothing bad happened there. However, I'll never forget how sticky the fatty blood serum felt between my fingers. It was practically like glue.

Normally, spun down human serum (with the red blood cells and other solid fractions removed), is a straw gold color. However, after ingesting fat, such as after one of those good ol' American style breakfasts of bacon and eggs and hash browns, it can be milky white or even pink, looking almost like a strawberry milkshake. That milky appearance is all the fat that's going through your arteries, carried in small, microscopic droplets called chylomicrons.

With such sticky blood coursing through your veins after eating any fat or oil, that could be the reason why the brachial artery didn't open and remained "glued" shut, rather than any injury to the vascular epithelium.

Third, the cell membranes, including those of the vascular epithelium, are essentially fatty, lipid membranes themselves. In the case of nerve cells, they're even fattier because of the presence of large amounts of phospholipids that are needed in nerve cells. My question is why would a typical fatty cell membrane be injured by something that is chemically the same, or at least, very similar to itself?

In Dr. Esselstyn's favor, however, is the one case of a man who had severe angina, which went away when he stopped eating olive oil, when he was already doing everything else right diet-wise. But this could simply be due to eliminating the remaining fat from the diet rather than because of any injury to the blood vessels.

All that having been said, I still think this is an extremely important book, and that Dr. Esselstyn's many other conclusions and ideas are correct. And I plan to change my own diet along the lines he suggests as a result.

Finally, I'd like to say that recently I was priviledged to hear Dr. Esselstyn speak and that he is an dynamic, funny, and witty speaker, and and that if you ever have the opportunity, you should go and hear him speak himself.

This book has become the most important component in my struggle with CHD. Since reading this book and employing the dietary recommendations my health has improved dramatically. When diagnosed with substantially blocked coronary arteries I was given only one option - heart bypass surgery. Dr Esselstyn has not only provided an alternative, he also seems to have provided a pathway to a cure! I recommend this book as essential reading to anybody seeking to avoid serious illness or in the process of treating life threatening circulatory disease

This is a very strict program for those with serious heart disease but the recipes and ideas are helpful for all families who are striving toward a plant-based diet.

The recipes alone in this book are worth the price of it, especially for those looking for a vegan way of eating and without fat. I have tried many of the recipes and like most of them very much, even the cakes aren't bad considering they have no fat. Dr. Esselstyn's convincing research is well-explained in layman's language in the first portion of the book. Along with the text, there are illustrations backing up Dr. Esselstyn's clinical research on eliminating and/or reversing heart disease by eating a plants-only diet

The only criticism I have is that two of the recipes (at least that's how many I've found so far) have a step in the middle missing and I deduce this happened in the printing of the book, but both recipes seem to have had the step cut off at the bottom of the page. One of them I was able to retrieve from another cookbook by another author, but the other...well, your guess is as good as mine. There seems to be no way to contact the author by email. That would be nice.

With all of the promises being made regarding health cures it is hard to figure out which ones really work & which are vehicles to remove dollars from your wallet. I am a skeptic about these apparent fad cures & diets because most ultimately fail while an author or guru gets rich.

I have heart disease and things were going well after my bypass over 7 years ago. After the surgery I changed to a lowfat diet, exercised more and felt good. Throughout my 20's I was a triathlete and was top condition - training 2 to 3 hours 5-6 days a week and understood, so I thought, the value of exercise and an effective diet.

Thinking I had my heart problem beat (pardon the metaphor) after favorable results from 2 extensive thalium treadmill tests 3 & 5 years ago, I went about eating the great American Diet that included the occasional burgers, sodas and the rest.

I found that I was short of breath during heavy exercise (Jiu Jitsu), I decided to have my heart tested with the elaborate systems in the hospital - thinking that it must be my age of 53 years catching up with me and nothing else. I got the shocking news that my heart condition had gotten 50% worse since I had the same test 3 years before! That was truly bad news...

Being fully depressed but determined to not have my quality of life wither away, I decided to do something about it and not wait for the doctors to give me more meds since surgery was not an option. My doctor said that the only reason he could see for my diminishing condition was an increase in cholesterol in my diet that has started to block other heart vessels.

I stumbled upon this book with this bold title including "reversing" written by a heart surgeon - a heart surgeon indeed!

I read it along with the China Study (if you want a tech book about the western diet, this will blow your mind) and made the dietary change - of course, family members gave me grief for eating a plant based diet.

Four months later my results are as follows: Cholesterol went from 230 to 150. Weight 236 to 202, great for someone who is 6'4". My energy during exercise is 50% better than before my checking 4 months ago. Mental clarity improved significantly and that is the short list.

So, does it really work? Try it and find out.

PS
One family member & wife who scoffed loudly is now on the diet simply by seeing my results (I had no interest in defending or arguing about my choice because I decided to extend my life). They read the China Study as well and decided to give the fast food industry a miss from their eating habits. Read it and you will think twice about it as well.

With all of the promises being made regarding health cures it is hard to figure out which ones really work, wouldn't you agree?

I have heart disease and things were going well after my bypass over 7 years ago. After the surgery I changed to a lowfat diet, exercised more and felt good. Throughout my 20's I was a triathlete and was top condition - training 2 to 3 hours 6 days a week and understood, so I thought, the value of an effective diet.

Thinking I had it beat (pardon the metaphor) I went about eating the great American Diet - burgers, sodas and the rest.

Being shorter of breath during heavy exercise, I decided to have my heart tested with the elaborate systems in the hospital - thinking that it must be my age (53 years old) and nothing else. I got the shocking news that my heart condition had gotten 50% worse! That was truly bad news...

Fully depressed and determined, I decided to do something about it and not wait for the doctors to give me more meds since surgery was not an option. I stumbled upon this book with this bold title including "reversing" written by a heart surgeon - a heart surgeon indeed!

I read it along with the China Study (if you want a tech book about the western diet, this will blow your mind) and made the dietary change - of course, family members gave me grief for eating a plant based diet.

Four months later my results are as follows: Cholesterol went from 230 to 150. Weight 236 to 202 (I am 6'4"). My energy during exercise is 50% better than before my checking 4 months ago. Mental clarity improved significantly and my doctor, who I have seen for 20 years, is fully impressed but still wonders if diet can really be the only reason for improvement. Ah, the blinders of the medical field here in America...

So, does it really work? Try it and find out.

PS
One family member & wife who scoffed loudly is now on the diet simply by seeing my results (I had no interest in defending or arguing about my choice because I decided to extend my life). They read the China Study as well and decided to give the fast food industry a miss from their eating habits.

I know Dr. Esselstyn. He is a man of integrity. His book is true. His report is honest. A plant-based diet can protect you from cardiac disease. Buy the book, follow his advice.

Dr. Esselstyn in right on the mark. Not only the coronary ateries but also the small ateries in the brain stay clear. It only makes perfectly good sense. Two-thirds of the book is on helpful recipes.

Great Book for those interested in Diet to prevent heart disease.
It inspired me to loose weight. It may help to reverse coronary disease. It is worthy the money!

All the research laid bare by the man who conducted it! A fascinating, even exciting, read as you discover "Essy's" progress to finding a rock solid means of preventing and curing heart disease (read ALL degenerative disease). Sure, read "The China Study" and any of John McDougals fine books but be sure to read this one. There's a great bonus too. Half the book is well arranged as recipes and these are worth the purchase price alone - they are great!

I am very excited by this book. He starts in the first few pages with his program's summary, unlike many books in which you have to read the whole book to know what it says. This is a plant based absolutely vegetarian diet, with virtually no oil..not even "heart healthy" oil such as olive oil. No nuts...ooouuuch, I just love them, especially cashews, and no avocados...but that's OK. I'm SOLD on his ideas. I plan to start this tomorrow. Age 59, feeling 70 a lot of the time, with unhealthy blood fats, I feel my health is declining. I believe Dr. Esselstyn will save my life.
I thought I ought to have felt well on a mediterranean diet that I follow, but I really don't. So I agree, his diet is not drastic; its the drastically bad American diet which we ought to ridicule.
He shows before-and-after heart cath. results on patients he's treated with this diet, and the results are tremendous. Yes, we can do this...we should, unless we want to die prematurely.

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, is a marvelous and accurate account of how plant based nutrition is able to work with the body for healing of heart disease but other motalities or diseases that would do harm to the body.

Thank you so much Dr. Esselstyn very much.

Wonderfully put for those of us who are not scientists. Very easy read and plenty of recipes to begin a lifetime of change.

Want to prevent heart disease? Then get your cholesterol under 150. How to do that? Don't eat meat, fish, eggs or any dairy product, nuts and any oil at all even olive oil. What's left? vegetables, legumes, whole grains (no added oil to breads or pasta) and fruit. I'm sure this will work but most people will not be disciplined enough to do this. Forget about eating at restaurants or at a dinner party. One suggestion for this book would be to provide more details about the China study. It is mentioned as a landmark study but not many details were included. I give the book four stars because of the 150 recipes that do not have oils and at least can be included in one's diet frequently.

DR. ESSYLSTIEN GIVES THE ANSWEAR TO THE ELIMINATION OF
WIDESPREAD HEART DISEASE EPIDEMIC THAT THE INDUSTRIALISED
WORLD HAS BEEN AND IS CONTINUING TO SUFFER FROM. THE NEW
QUESTION NOW, IS WILL SOCIETY EMBRACE THE LIFESTYLE REQUIRED TO ELIMINATE THIS SCOURGE FROM THE PLANET OR
CONTINUE TO GORGE DAILEY ON THE RICH FOODS THAT ARE SLOWLY
BUT SURELY SHORTENING THEIR LIVES?